Shoe or platform raising device



July 13, 192s. 1,592,770.

c. LIBERMAN snoer on PLATFORM Bustine' DEvIcE Filed Dec 5 1925 an 'i 4 3 6 5 lNvaNToR I zo I BY 4 ATroRNEYs Patented July 13, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES LIBERMAN, E NEW YORK', N. Yi, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF' TOf JAMES A.

l REYNOLDS, JR., OF NEW YORK, N'. Y; i

SHOE, on PLATFORM :Muslimv DEVICE.

Application filed December This invention relates to elevating de vices` capable of being used as substitutes for scaffolding and` has for an object to provide a construction wherein individual elevating devices may be used on both feet by a workman or a single larger elevating device; used to` support one or more persons.

Another object of the inventionv is to provide an v elevating device for workmen wherein` the workmen may stand on the device and elevate themselves to diil'erent heights as may be desired.

A further object, more specifically, is to provide an elevatingr device for a workman capable of being connected to the respective shoes of the workman.: the construction being such that either device` may be actuated for elevating that particular shoe so that either or both shoes may' be elevated to raisethe workman and support him in an elevated. position- Anadditional object is to. provide an ele- "ating4 device wherein the. lazy tongs and associa-ted parts are used to elevate and, support az workman, the structure including means operatedbytthe workman. for causing the lazy tongs to Ycollapseaor distendk as` the WOITkmRIl. deilea a higher or lower elevation. i

In the; accompanying drawing-v Eigure `1 is 'a vertical sectional` view through a `device einbodyingrA the invention, the. same being taken approximately on4 line 1 -1 of Figure 2. a

Figure 2 isa sectional view through Figure on lineY 21-2.V

YFigure 3..is a detail fragmentary sectional view through. igure 1 on' line 3-3.

Figure 4' is a detail. fragmentary sectional view similar .to the; lower part of4 Figure 1 but showing a slightly modified. construction for 'releasing the lazy tongs.

Figure 5Y isa. fragmentary sectional view similar-to. the lower. right hand part ofA Figure 1 but disclosing.;a slightly modified con struction.

Figure 6 is a sectional view through Figure 5j Online 6-6` Referring to. the accompanying drawing by: numerals, 1 indicates ay base provided with dove-tailmembers2 and 3 on the lower surface, sad dove-tail members fitting, into similar shaped grooves inthe base plate 4 which is slid'ingly fitted; in position. The base plate 4, is held inpla-ce merely by fr1c- 3, 1925. serieu No. 73,025.

tion and may be removed at any time when,

kmodate the Vpin 8 which extends through the l'owermost bars 9 and 10 of the lazy tongs 11. The pin 8 extends through the bars 9' and 10 at their point of crossing and through the,l slots 7 whereby the direction of movement of the lazy tongs isV determined'. At the. lower end, each of the bars 9 and 10 is provided with a foot or offset 12 adapted to fit into the respective racksV 13 and 14 formed on the base 1. f. A slot or depressionl 15 is also formedY in'the basel and guides the vertical movable bar 16 in a limited up anddown movement. vPins 17 and 18, extend fromthe base 1U through suitable slots 19 and 2O formed in the bar 16 whereby this bar is guided and limited in its up and down movement. ,An actuating pin 21 is connected tok bar 16 near the center and to this is connected a cord or cable 22 of any desired kind extending upwardly through the aperture 23 inthe footl piece 211. Suitable springs 25 and 26 act on the bar 16 to maintain the same inv its lower position as shown in the drawing but these springs will yield as the cord or cable 22 is pulled and bar 16 moved upwardly. When this occurs, the bar 16 will'engage the feet 12 on the bars. 9 and 10and will raise these feet out of engagement with the racksA 13 and 14 whereby the lazy tongs 11 may be collapsed to any desired extent. Then not in use, the lazy tongs are complete-ly collapsed and the foot` piece 24: is; lowered to the side pla-tes 5 and 6. In order to automatically cause a collapsing. of the lazy tongs when released, suitable springs 27 and 28 are con nected to the central pivot pins of cert-ain of the bars. LAt the upper end of4 the device the foot piece 24 is formed with a substant-ially. dovetailslot29 in which the slidingfeet 30 and 31 are positioned, said'` sliding. feet being pivotally, connected to the upper ends of the upper bars of. the lazy tongs 11 as shown in Figure 1. 'When these feet are pulled toward eachother, the lazy tongs will naturally be distended and when forced away from each other or permitted to move away from each other, the

lazy tongs will be collapsed. Suitable meinbers 32 and 33 are arranged at the ends for preventing the feet from sliding out of the slot 29. These members also support suitable pulleys 34 and 35 over which the respective cables 36 and 37 pass. The cable 37 is connected to 'toot 30 while cable 36 is connected to foot 31. These cables are connected togethei` and to a single cable 38 which extends upwardly and may be tied to the waist of the person using the device. The person using the device will place his foot on the toot support 24 with his heel against the heel base 39 and his toe under the strap 40. A suitable strap 41 is also provided for the ankle whereby the foot is properly held in place so that when the foot is raised. the entire device will also be raised. vThis will permit the person using the device to walk whenever desired.

`When the device is in use and is substantially in the position shown in Figure 1 and it is desired to raise the feet somewhat, the person using the device will raise on one 'toot so as to relieve the weight on the other and on the toot so relieved, the cord 38 will be pulled. This will cause' the lazy tongs 11 to be distended to a greater extent. Af*- er the desired distention or extension has been produced, cord 38 is released and the weight of the person again placed kon the foot piece 24. The device on the other foot is then similarly treated and the desired elevation secured. If this elevation is not suiiicient. the operation is repeated. Where it is desired to lower the device, the cord or cable 22 is pulled for raising bar 16 and lthen the cable 38 which has been previously grasped is Vallowed to gradually slide through the hand for "allowing the foot pieces 30 and 31 to gradually separate. The downward movement of the foot piece 24 may be stopped at any time by lowering the bar 16 whereupon Ythe members 12 will immediately engage certain of the teeth of the racks 13 and 14.

The shoe or platform'raisingr device embodying the invention may be used for many purposes and is in a certainsense, a distensible stilt. It is adapted particularly tor use by worlrmenin painting or otherwise operating on a ceiling in a room or other high place, though it may, as above suggested, be used for many other purposes.

In Fignre 4, a slightly modified form of the invention is shown.V said kmodification being in the bar 16 which in this form ot the invention. is provided with teeth 42 at each end normally beneath the teeth oit racks 13 and 14. The yteeth 42 present auxiliary racks and are offset from the teeth of racks 13 and 14 for about half the length oi a tooth s0 that when the bar 16 is raised, the bars 9 and 1()v will be moved out of engagement with the racks 13 and 14 but will slide quickly into engagement with the teeth of bar 16. Y'Vhen this bar is lowered, the end 12 will move into engagement with another tooth ot' the racks 13 and 14. Upon an up and down movement ot the bar 16', the lower ends of the bars 9 and may be gradually moved apart and, consequently, the lazy tongs gradually collapsed tor lowering the toot piece 24.

Figures 5 and 6 disclose another slightly mod d structure wherein the bar 16 is tied to the lazy tongs by rreason ot' a hoolishaped member 43 swingably connected with each vof the bars 9 and 10. The hook 43 loosely engages the lower surface ot the bar 16. As bar 16 is normally held depressed by the springs and 26, this arrangement causes the feet 12 to always remain in engagement with the racks 13 and 14. This is desirable when the person using the device is walking from one place to another as it will not result in the elongation ot' the lazy tongs as the springs 25 and 26 are sufficiently strong to hold the parts in their iixed or adjusted position. lt is, of course., understood that when the cord 21 is pulled, the springs 25 and 26 are overcome and the lazy tongs may be readily distended or contracted.

that I claim is:

1. A devicev of the character described, comprising a base, a collapsible and distensible member operatively connected with said base, a foot piece connected to said Ymember at the end opposite to the base,

means operable romthe foot piece for dis tending said member, means for collapsing said member, and means operable from said foot piece for releasing said member whereby it may be collapsed.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a lazy tongs, a base formed with a pair of uprights, each of said uprights being formed with a slot, a pin extending through part of said lazy'Y tongs and through said slots, said pin acting to guide the directionof movement of the lazy tongs, a rack structure co-acting with the lower end of the lazy tongs to hold the same in different distended positions, and a foot piece connected to the lazy tongs at the end oppositesaidbase.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a lazy tongs structure formed with a foot on the lower end of each of the lower bars thereof, a base formed with a pair of rack sections co-acting with said feet for holding the lazy tongs in dierent distended positions, a foot piece connected tothe lazy ltongs at the opposite end to `said base, means operable from the foot piece for distending said lazy tongs, and means operable Y:trom said foot piece for raising the lazy tongs ott" of said racks whereby the lazy tongs may be collapsed.

4. A edvice of the character described,

comprising a distensible and collapsible member, a foot piece connected to one end of said member, a base connected to the other end of said member, means carried by the base for holding said member in any desired distended position, manually actuated means for distending said member, means for releasing said distensible lmember, and automatically acting means for collapsing said member.

5. In a device of the character described, a lazy tongs formed with a pair of feet at one end, a base co-acting with said lazy tongs, a pair of oppositely facing rack members carried by said base and positioned to be engaged by said feet whereby the lazy tongs are held in different distended positions, a pair of sliding plates extending upwardly yfrom said base, each of said plates being provided with a slot, a pin extending through part of the lazy tongs and through said slots whereby the direction of movement of the lazy ton s is determined, and means carried by the ower part of the base'adapted to be manually actuated for moving the lazy tongs out of engagement with said rack whereby the lazy tongs may be collapsed.

6. In a device of the character described,

a lazy tongs, a base operatively associated with one end of the lazy tongs, said base being provided with a pair of rack members engaging the lower end of the lazy tongs for holding the lazy tongs in kdiiierent distended positions, a bar extending across said base, means for guiding said bar in a vertical movement, and manually actuated means for raising .said bar, said bar being positioned so that when raised it will move the lazy tongs out of engagement with said rack members whereby said lazy tongs may be collapsed.

7. In a device of the character described, a lazy tongs, a base operatively associated with one end of the lazy tongs, said base being provided with a pair of racks for engaging the lower end of the lazy tongs and hold the lazy tongs Vin different distended positions and means for disengagingsaid lazy tongs from said rack, said means including a bar movable longitudinally of the lazy tongs, and manually actuated means for moving said bar, said bar being formed with teeth on the upper surface offset from the teeth in said rack whereby upon each elevation of said bar the lazy tongs will be low ered a certain extent.

CHARLES LIBERMAN. 

